Standard VII
Library and Information Resources
Micheline E. Jedrey
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Standard VII |
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Library and Information Resources |
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Micheline E. Jedrey |
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Technology Infrastructure
During 1989-1994, Wellesley invested roughly $6.5 million in capital expenditures for wiring the campus and for developing the infrastructure for high-speed data transmission. The faculty and staff telephone system was replaced during this period and the student phone system was activated in 1992. The computer for the Library system, installed in 1987, was replaced in 1993 and will be upgraded again in January 1999 in order to ensure that it is year 2000 compliant. Enhancements to the library system have been regularly implemented, most notably the installation in 1996 of the World Wide Web Public Access Catalog (WebPAC). In 1994, the College began implementation of the SCT Banner integrated administrative information system. The final module (Alumnae/Development) was installed in October 1997, followed closely by the upgrade to the 2.1 version of system software. In October 1998, the College successfully installed version 3.1 of the Banner product, the current release of the software. Annual upgrades of software are anticipated in the future.
The costs for maintaining this infrastructure have been incorporated into the operating budgets of the Information Services departments during the past five years, as reflected in the annual budget increases. As of fiscal year 1997, the Information Services budget devoted to technology (including personnel costs) represented 4.7% of the Educational and General budget of the College, as compared to 2.19% in 1989 and 3.19% in 1994. The FY97 non-personnel operating budget for the technology infrastructure (equipment lease/purchase, repair and maintenance, computer supplies, software, and licensing/access fees associated with the use electronic information resources) was approximately $1.5 million.
Video and Data Network
The campus data network reaches all administrative and classroom buildings. Nearly all of the 64 on-campus buildings have been connected to the fiber optic backbone. High-speed connections are available in all faculty and staff offices, providing support for applications such as downloading visual information or accessing large data files via the Internet. Through Wellesley's DormNet Project, all student rooms have high-speed connections for voice and data transmission providing a "port for every pillow".
At present, the video network is not as fully developed as the data and voice network. There are approximately 225 points of presence on campus, located in classrooms and common spaces in academic buildings and residential halls, that provide viewing capabilities for satellite broadcasts as well as local programming. Student rooms are not included in the present video network configuration, though many students have requested this service. Wellesley recently expanded the available programming so that most international languages taught at Wellesley are supported by offerings produced in the country of origin. During the summer 1998, two additional small satellite dishes were installed to provide programming in support of language and cultural studies (Russian, German, Japanese, Chinese). We are actively pursuing the delivery of programming from Spain to support the study of Spanish.
Hardware Accessibility
The College supports a five-year replacement cycle for computing equipment for continuing faculty and provides each new tenure-track faculty member with an office workstation. Some faculty may receive replacement equipment on a more frequent basis due to specific research or instructional needs. Computer equipment for use by staff is also replaced on a regular cycle with most machines upgraded within the five-year period. In 1995/96 Wellesley initiated a leasing program for all institutionally purchased computer equipment including desktop hardware for faculty and staff, and for computer labs, classrooms and dormitory computer rooms. Nearly 50% of the installed equipment base has been replaced in the past two years. Approximately 95 percent of the installed computers now support the use of graphical user interfaces, a necessary pre-condition to the full use of WWW resources.
Approximately 75 to 80 percent of enrolled and entering students own or rent computers. The 1996 enrolled students survey indicated that there were notable differences in computer ownership by financial aid status and ethnicity. Of the 25% who did not rent or own a computer, over half had most or all of their college expenses supported by financial aid. Among African-American students, 48% did not rent or own a computer, compared to 29% of Asian-Americans, 31% of Latinas and 19% of whites. In order to address these issues of access, the College provides shared computer facilities in each of the residence halls and general purpose computer labs in all major classroom buildings and the Clapp Library (24 hour availability). Specialized facilities are also available in each of the academic buildings. In addition, laptop computers are available for short-term loan from the Science Library and the Clapp Library.
We continue to explore the potential benefits of requiring all students to own or rent computers, as a component of the College's access strategy. This approach would have significant impact on the financial aid budget (projected at an additional $350,000-$400,000 per year) or on the tuition costs (e.g., Wake Forest initiated this requirement two years ago and raised their tuition by $3000 to cover the costs of implementing the program that provides entering students with laptop computers). At present, we have focused our initiatives on providing additional training opportunities for students with limited technology and information skills, rather than on providing the equipment. Beginning in the 1998 fall semester, the computer science department with Information Services is offering a .5-unit course that focuses on the development of technology and information literacy. At the completion of both semesters, we will assess the effectiveness of the course in providing students with the necessary skills to successfully complete their coursework.
Facilities: Classrooms and Laboratories
There are a number of faculty resource laboratories, equipped with specialized computer workstations and peripherals for use by faculty engaged in research and in curricular development. In September 1997, the Betsy Wood Knapp Media and Technology Center opened in the Margaret Clapp Library, providing access to the most current instructional technology resources in support of student learning, faculty teaching and the creation of multimedia instructional applications.
The College has invested in the upgrading of classrooms to provide multimedia workstations for instructors and to create several classrooms equipped with multiple workstations for student use during class sessions. Approximately 40 percent of the classrooms now contain computer workstations and audio-visual equipment; nearly all classrooms are connected to the network. As of FY98, $200,000 has been allocated from the College's annual major maintenance budget to support classroom upgrades and renovations on a continuing basis.
However, the distribution of technology-enhanced classrooms is uneven across the campus. Due to recent building renovation projects, the Science Center and Founders Hall contain the majority of upgraded classrooms. Classrooms in Green Hall and Pendleton East are not adequately equipped to meet the current teaching needs of faculty. At approximately $50,000-$75,000 per classroom renovation, the annual allocation of $200,000 will allow the College to make only very slow progress in upgrading the remaining 40-45 classrooms. The College has responded to these facility needs by initiating a process to obtain additional funds for capital improvements through the issuance of bonds. Selected classrooms within both Pendleton East and Green Hall will receive technology upgrades as a result of this infusion of funds. Space planning efforts have begun and construction is expected to occur in 2000-2001. Without this timely allocation of resources, the College would have risked losing the momentum created by the investments in faculty training programs and in desktop equipment, instructional software, and network accessibility. Faculty members will not make the time investment in redesigning their courses to incorporate technology if the classrooms are not equipped to handle the use of these tools.
World Wide Web /Campus-Wide Information System
All members of the college community can access, via the data network, the Wellesley College Library catalog and many other bibliographic databases including full-text resources; shared laser printers; campus and Internet e-mail and bulletin boards; as well as Wellesley's Campus-Wide Information System (CWIS) and other World Wide Web (WWW) resources. The CWIS was initiated in September 1994 and has become a central information resource for on-campus constituencies as well as a vital link to external audiences such as prospective students, parents and Wellesley alumnae. The process of clarifying the relationship between this electronic resource and the printed publications of the College has begun, as we determine the appropriateness of each medium for communicating information to our various constituencies. The CWIS Advisory Group was established in 1997 to address issues related to content, information access, security and privacy.
As a result of these investments in the infrastructure, networked resources and the WWW have been integrated into the learning and teaching process. Several departments, including biological sciences, art history, philosophy, sociology and physics, have made course-related digitized images available on the network for student review and study. Faculty are routinely establishing course-specific electronic bulletin boards as a means of continuing classroom discussions; some faculty are developing course-related WWW pages as an adjunct to or extension of the classroom learning experience. These pages may contain lecture notes, images and/or links to related information resources. In addition, a growing library of instructional software, such as Mathematica and StatView, is available to faculty and students on Wellesley's network.
Resource Requirements
The costs of maintaining this sophisticated and powerful infrastructure are significant. While we have been successful in embedding most of these costs within the College's operating budget, thus underscoring the ongoing nature of these financial commitments, it may be difficult in the future to sustain this approach. Wellesley is committed to slowing the rate of growth of the operating budget and, as a result, the annual percentage increase has been below the rate of inflation (normally +2%). The budget requests within Information Services have generally exceeded this guideline, and have not been fully funded in FY97 and FY98.
In response to these resource needs, we are actively seeking endowed funds and grant support for instructional technology, working with the Resources staff. The endowed funds are broadly defined to incorporate needs for facilities, equipment, information resources, and staff. During FY97-FY98, three technology-related endowed funds were established totaling $2 million. During this same period we have received two instructional technology grants (Keck Foundation, Mellon Foundation) which have provided funds for faculty training, pedagogical innovation and curricular development, and student interns. As we have seen in the Library's budget, the endowed funds provide a stable, sustained source of income that provides some protection from the pressures on the College's general operating budget. The grant funds supplement the budget and allow us to experiment and test models of uses of instructional technology prior to making an ongoing commitment within the operating budget. Given ever-increasing expectations on the part of staff, faculty and students, it is clear that the provision of adequate funding for information technology services will be a continuing challenge for the College.
Information Resources
Another critical component of the infrastructure is the ready availability of information resources in an increasing array of formats. The Library's collections have continued to grow, adding depth in traditional areas of study and expanding holdings in support of emerging areas within the curriculum. Collecting patterns have shifted to reflect the increasing diversity and globalization of the curriculum, as well as the growth in interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs and course offerings. [See in reading room, Library Resources for a Multicultural Curriculum: Indicators of Collection Development 1989-1997, prepared by Maggie Bartley, Collection Management Librarian.]
Collection Development and Management
The development and management of the collections is done in partnership with the faculty. Each librarian staff member serves as a liaison to selected academic departments and interdepartmental programs; each academic department appoints a faculty member who serves as faculty library liaison. The College Librarian serves as a member of the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction as another mechanism for creating effective links between the Library and the academic program. In addition, as part of the process of reviewing proposals for new courses, library and technology needs are identified by the faculty member submitting the proposal. This ensures that the information resources are available for students when the course is first offered. As a liberal arts college library, our collections policies are guided primarily by curricular needs and must be responsive to changes in course offerings. However, we recognize our responsibilities to build upon and maintain the collection's historical strengths, even during periods when the emphasis may shift in the curriculum or when an individual faculty member with specialized research needs retires or resigns.
During the past five years the Library has expanded the collections to include new information formats, including: 1) laser disks and videotapes of films in support of the curriculum; 2) a collection of secondary school multimedia curricular materials to support the teacher training program in the education department; 3) a classroom map collection to support teaching needs in the humanities and social sciences; and 4) electronic full-text resources such as JSTOR and Project Muse. The Library's holdings, except for manuscript and archival materials, are fully accessible through the on-line catalog. The catalog now contains bibliographic records for Wellesley student theses as well as for the newly-acquired formats listed above. In addition, through the WebPAC, the Library is now providing direct live links between the bibliographic record and the corresponding electronic full-text, if available.
Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services
The demand for document delivery services has dramatically increased in the past five years. Some of this increase is attributable to the ready availability via the Internet of library catalogs and other bibliographic databases which help students and faculty identify materials held by other institutions. Since 1992/93, the number of borrowing requests (those materials supplied by other libraries in response to faculty and student requests) has increased by 58% (92/93: 5,817 requests; 96/97: 9,185). During this same time period, the number of lending requests (those materials supplied by Wellesley in response to requests from other institutions) has increased by 28% (92/93: 9,781; 96/97: 12,500). Of the number of items borrowed, 62% are supplied by member institutions of the Boston Library Consortium of which Wellesley has been a member since 1975. Document delivery services have become an integral part of meeting, through cost-effective means, the advanced research needs of the faculty and students. The Wellesley College Library participated in the recently completed Association of Research Libraries study of direct costs associated with the interlibrary loan and borrowing program. Our costs per transaction were slightly higher than average costs for the 22 participating college libraries but well below those associated with the 97 participating research libraries:
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Borrowing Costs |
Lending Cost |
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Research Libraries |
$18.35 |
$9.48 |
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College Libraries |
$12.08 |
$7.25 |
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Wellesley College Library |
$12.76 |
$7.34 |
Resource Requirements
The Library's budget represents approximately 4.7% of the College's educational and general budget, equivalent to the percentage represented by technology. However, unlike technology, the Library's percentage of E & G has remained stable during this 10 year period. In FY97, the budgeted amount for library collections was approximately $1.6 million, including $90,000 for preservation and binding of library materials. The Library has met the challenge of above-inflation increases for serials (average annual percentage of increase for subscription costs is 10%-12%) by fully budgeting all endowed funds, by aggressive negotiation regarding the discount provided by our primary vendors of monographs, and by adopting a policy of purchasing paperbound editions that are simultaneously published with the hardcover edition. The costs of binding these paperbound editions is considerably less than the price differential between the paper and hardcover edition. As a result of these strategies, the Library has been able to maintain its buying power during this challenging period. In FY93 we purchased 11.050 monographs; in 1997 we purchased 11, 897. In comparison to our peer institutions, Wellesley ranks fourth in total acquisitions expenditures and seventh in the acquisition expenditures per student:
Total Acquisitions Expenditures FY 98
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Claremont Colleges |
$2,639,439 |
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Wesleyan University |
$2,061,176 |
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Smith College |
$1,834,794 |
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Wellesley College |
$1,762,699 |
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Reed College |
$962 per student |
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Swarthmore College |
$914 |
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Bryn Mawr College |
$899 |
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Bowdoin College |
$829 |
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Williams College |
$792 |
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Grinnell College |
$791 |
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Wellesley College |
$783 |
The Library has also entered into cooperative collections agreements developed by member institutions of the Boston Library Consortium in order to share responsibility for subject coverage in fields such as biology, chemistry, Latin American women's studies, and film. Finally, as described above, the Library is experimenting with patron-initiated ordering of periodical articles as a means of containing costs related to supporting on-going research activities of faculty members (and potentially those of students engaged in thesis research).
However, it is extremely difficult to sustain the buying power of the available funds given the infusion of new electronic resources and other information formats. The costs of purchasing or leasing electronic resources generally exceeds the costs associated with equivalent print resources. And frequently, these electronic resources are additive, meaning that they do not fully replace existing print resources. It is clear that students and faculty expect to be able to identify and retrieve needed resources from their desktop computers. Fulfilling these expectations may have significant implications for the future allocation of dollars devoted to collection development. As a component of our resource allocation strategy, we have recently completed a study of journal use within the Science Library. The results of this study will provide us with data to determine the cost per use (subscription cost/times used) and to compare the cost-effectiveness of subscribing to the title with that of purchasing articles on an as-needed basis
Library Facilities
The College Library's facilities consist of: the Margaret Clapp Library which houses the central services (administration, cataloging, acquisitions, preservation, serials control) as well as Special Collections, Archives and collections in humanities and social sciences; the Art and Music Libraries located in the Jewett Arts Center; the Science Library located in the Science Center; and the Astronomy Library in the Observatory. The Art and Music Libraries were renovated and expanded in 1992/93. The Science Library was modestly expanded during the Science Center renovation in 1990, but furnishings and fittings were not replaced at that time. There are additional programmatic adjustments that are desired within the Science Library, notably the creation of a classroom for library instruction.
The Clapp Library was last renovated in 1974/75 and was designed to accommodate projected collections growth for 20 years. In 1995, the library initiated a master planning process with the architectural firm of Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott. This process identified three major space initiatives: 1) the inclusion of a media and technology center within the Clapp Library (the Knapp Media and Technology Center opened in September 1997); 2) the renovation of the Special Collections and Archives, and the creation of a preservation/conservation facility; and 3) the expansion of the stack space to accommodate collections growth for 15 years. In addition, building systems, furnishings, and fittings require refurbishment or replacement.
In order to address the need for additional stack space (the library receives approximately 10,000 volumes/year), three alternatives were developed: reinforcement of the existing slab to accommodate compact shelving; expansion of the library; and, creation of an off-site storage facility. At this point, the most viable alternative is the development of an off-site storage facility in cooperation with other members of the Boston Library Consortium. This is the most cost-effective alternative ($2.28/volume [capital costs] in the high-density storage facility as compared to approximately $33.00/volume for new construction of stacking in a traditional library setting). At present, the library is at capacity (86% full). Within eighteen months, newly-received materials will not be able to be shelved within the present building. The pressure on stack space is intense and the College will be faced with some expenditure associated with collections space, whether it takes the form of a BLC-owned storage facility, renovation and expansion of the existing Clapp building or fees for storage at a non-BLC facility.
Staffing and Training
Staffing Level
There are approximately 85 FTE staff members and approximately 300 (an estimated 52.7 FTE) student assistants within Information Services. Information Services includes: advanced technology applications; computer repair and maintenance; telecommunications; library services in the Margaret Clapp Library and in the department libraries; media services; systems and networks; database systems; and user services (e.g., HelpDesk). This merged organizational structure allows for greater flexibility in the deployment of resources, both human and financial.
However, service needs of faculty, students and staff exceed current staffing levels. Additional staff positions have been created within IS through reallocation of existing resources (i.e., salaries of higher paid staff who have resigned have been redistributed to create more entry-level positions), through the use of grant funds (e.g., the Mellon Foundation grant in instructional technology supports 1.0 FTE), or through the creation of internships or post-baccalaureate positions supported by institutional endowed funds for instructional technology.
The transition from AIMS, a distributed administrative systems database centrally supported by Information Services staff, to Banner, a centralized, integrated database environment with distributed support, has been a challenging one for the College. In December 1997 the president approved the addition of three positions within the database systems group in response to the ongoing support needs of Banner, the administrative information system. In addition, key user departments such as Admissions, Registrar's Office, Financial Aid, Alumnae Office and Resources have created or modified positions to address the ongoing maintenance and support of the administrative information system. The College has recently hired TASC, a consulting firm, to assess the allocation of user support resources among the Information Services departments and the user departments and to develop an optimal user support model that is consistent with the institution's operating strategies. TASC will combine this proposed support model with an assessment of training needs and the development of a College-wide training plan. Our goal is to build our internal capacity to meet the ongoing demands of technological change. Hiring and retention of technically-skilled staff, within IS as well as within most other administrative departments, is a critical strategic issue for the College.
Training
Providing a well-constructed training program for staff and faculty is a key strategy to meet the need for developing technology skills. IS provides a wide array of technology classes for faculty and staff, including in-depth training for faculty in instructional technology. In January 1996, faculty members representing a broad spectrum of disciplines across the sciences, foreign languages, the writing program, art, physical education, and psychology attended a four-day workshop, co-taught by faculty members and by Information Services staff. During January 1997, two four-day sessions were held for faculty, funded by a grant from the Keck Foundation. The faculty summer seminar for 1997, attended by faculty members from computer science, the languages, Africana studies, sociology and the writing program, focused on the topic "Technology and Pedagogy." Additional workshops for faculty are planned to be held on a biannual basis. In November 1997, a four-day intensive training program designed for administrative staff was offered for IS staff, as a pilot initiative. This program was very well received by the attendees and we are now planning to offer additional training programs for other staff, built on this model, beginning in the spring 1999. But, as indicated above, the current training offerings are not adequate. Jobs are changing at such a rate that staff are having difficulty keeping up with the new tasks and responsibilities. In 1999 IS, working in cooperation with the Human Resources department, will develop a more structured curriculum for staff who must regularly use technology to fulfill job expectations.
Student training consists of a technology session as part of first-year orientation, ongoing training provided by the DormNet consultants, and course-related library instruction sessions. Nearly 170 library instruction sessions were offered during 1996/97, incorporating the full array of print and electronic resources, including those available via the Internet. The CWIS contains guides to the use of technology and information resources, including documentation about specific software applications, FAQs, and research resources arranged by subject or discipline. Student learning about technology also occurs in informal ways, through consultation with peers regarding specific problems and applications. As mentioned above, the computer science department with IS will begin offering a .5-unit course designed to develop technology and information literacy skills, aimed primarily at first-year students.
Evaluative Measures
Various quantitative measures regarding staffing levels, collection scope and size, and financial support as well as qualitative measures regarding programs and service offerings are used to assess the adequacy of the existing resources. Examples of such assessments include the study on library resources for a multicultural curriculum, the ARL-sponsored study on document delivery services, and the science journal use study. Wellesley College participates in annual surveys conducted by the Oberlin Group of Liberal Arts College Libraries, the Boston Library Consortium, the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC), and the Campus Computing Survey in order to obtain comparative data regarding our library and computing services and resources. In addition, the staff of Information Services consults with faculty and staff regarding their library and technology needs.
The Task Force on Information Services was formed in 1996 and issued its report and recommendations in April 1998. The task force engaged in a planning process designed to articulate the educational and institutional goals associated with the use of technology and multimedia information resources in support of student learning and pedagogy. The planning process incorporated ongoing data analysis regarding faculty and student use of technology and the impact of technology on the classroom experience and student learning outcomes. The data gathered during this process is serving as a baseline as we begin planning a more in-depth assessment of technology and the ways in which teaching and learning are being affected and transformed. This assessment will begin this fall using focus groups of faculty members and of students.
During the past decade Wellesley College has developed a robust and flexible infrastructure for technology and the delivery of library and information services, providing equitable access to these resources for all members of the College community. The information service initiatives are directed and informed by the pedagogical and research needs of the faculty and students and by the managerial objectives of the administrative staff. The College is committed to the continued enhancement of information technology resources as a means to enable members of the community to achieve academic excellence and administrative effectiveness.
Projections
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